


The RWBY Project

by p_russia



Category: RWBY
Genre: Additional Tags TBD, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, RWBY ReWrite, rewriting volume one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25817299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/p_russia/pseuds/p_russia
Summary: In the world of Remnant, there were monsters crawling the earth and there are those who oppose them, to create a semblance of peace.Four extraordinary girls and how they came together.*This is a RWBY rewrite because canon is often disappointing in the face of what can be created in fans' minds. I also just have a substantial problem with the beginning of the series (of which I do not blame them for, given what I've heard from the production process early on) that has given me quite a few interesting ideas of what it could have been instead.
Relationships: Ruby Rose & Team RWBY, Ruby Rose & Yang Xiao Long, Team JNPR & Team RWBY
Kudos: 3





	The RWBY Project

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said in the summary, this is a rewrite!!  
> RWBY's beginning has bothered me since I watched it, but I don't hold it against the creative team. I understand there was difficulties and the production process wasn't all that great at the beginning- regardless of if that's how they would word it themselves. What I've heard isn't that great.
> 
> But it could be good.  
> So since I've had ideas, I would love to explore them in writing like this.  
> I hope whoever reads this at least thinks of this as an interesting thought experiment if nothing else.  
> But I also hope it's enjoyable. Onto the story!

Ruby Rose knew how people saw her. She was small, she was thin, her eyes too big, and her cheeks squishy; everything about her radiated youthfulness and she didn’t think she’d grow past it any time soon. No amount of blacks or deep reds she wore could change that. (She knew. She’d tried.) Like her mother had been, her dad occasionally mentioned with a wistful look on his face. People looked at her and saw a little girl, non-threatening and weak.

But bodies flew through windows whether or not a “little girl” was the one flinging them through it.

“Hey!” the other gang members cried out at the commotion. (At least, she thought they were gang members. It probably didn’t matter.) Three people poked their heads out from the main center of the store and Ruby ducked behind a display still full of dust. Guns were raised and Ruby wasn’t stupid. She had aura to protect her, but that wouldn’t last if too many were focused on gunning her down. _Stupid_ , she scolded herself. _That was stupid_. Of course throwing someone out a window would garner attention. But she hadn’t been paying attention and stupidly reacted to a man telling her he was robbing her. Now everyone (and she didn’t know how many that was) knew she was here. 

Ruby sighed. Well. At least she brought her precious scythe with her. Sliding her headphones on again, she decided now was the time to act. _Now or never_ , as Yang liked to say.

She rushed forward suddenly, catching the closest gang member off-guard. Using the flat side of her still-compact scythe, she kicked him back into his comrades and flipped back onto her feet, her way clear to move forward. She had _wanted_ to extend Crescent Rose to its full-glory but she couldn’t do that in the store. She’d only be limited by the aisle space and low ceiling. Her precious was much too tall for that to work.

The beat of one of her uncle’s favorite rock songs hit heavy as adrenaline flooded her veins and she couldn’t help the small grin even as she took in the enemy. _Crap!_

Like she feared, the three now getting up behind her weren’t alone. At least half a dozen more nearly-identical men stood in various parts of the store, now seeing her in the broad artificial lighting. The only other non-gang member seemed to be the shopkeep himself, two guns trained on him steadily. It was like his eyes screamed “Help me!” until he realized he was staring back at a fifteen-year-old. She clenched her jaw tight and vowed to herself that she’d get him out of here safe and sound. So she _focused_.

A man in a white jacket and bowler hat stepped forward, orange bangs swept over one eye. He eyed her with a curiosity suited for looking at a puppy with new tricks. “What do we have here?” He wondered aloud to himself, waving his cane in her direction. “Selling dust to children? And they call me a criminal,” He said to the shopkeeper. She could barely make out what he was saying.

He tutted. “Take care of her boys,” Mr. Bossman dismissed.

They certainly tried. One of them tried to grab her from behind, but his footsteps echoed heavily and she easily saw him coming. She dodged, grabbing his tie and throwing him over her shoulder into the case’d been hiding behind. The dust reacted, setting off a chain reaction. She winced at the explosions but they easily took out the man she’d thrown and his two friends, plus another that happened to be too close. _6_ , she counted like it was a video game, _including Mr. Bossman._

Two of the aisle dividers fell as a result of her accidental destruction, clearing some of the space for her. Two more henchmen took advantage and started shooting at her. A burst of rose petals later and one of them lost hold of his gun, Ruby rematerializing next to them.

She cried out as Yellow Shirt, the one she’d ignored in favor of attacking his friend, elbowed her in the back of the head. She stumbled forward, headphones falling off and she pouted to herself about the loss of music. Maybe the headphones would survive the attack? Hopefully. She didn’t want to have to buy new ones.

Using her compact scythe again, she swung it into Yellow Shirt’s head before either of them could react again, turning and kicking Gunhead into the wall as hard as she could. She ignored the sound of shattering glass as pictures fell off the wall, repeating her hit on Yellow Shirt again and again until he was just laying on the ground. Hopefully not dead. Kicking and hitting with blunt objects were all she got, okay? Hand to hand was Yang’s thing! It seemed to be working for her though, so at least there’s that. _4._

Ruby prepared to jump at the next guy, already looking for something to throw him into but froze at the sound of a gun clicking and a smooth and mused voice. “Now, now, Red. I hadn’t pegged you to be so troublesome. A shame, I’d hate to have to do something… drastic.”

It was Mr. Bossman, his three goons standing smugly behind him as if they’d already won, as if he wasn’t brandishing a pistol to the shopkeeper’s head. It was nothing to them but the world slowed for her, zeroed in on this one man wordlessly pleading for help no one could provide. Nobody but her; a small, young girl versus four men with loaded weapons unafraid to hurt anyone. She gripped her scythe tighter, wishing now more than ever that she could swing it as it was meant to be swung, an omen of dread for most but a comforting power for her. She couldn’t take them all on her own.

“Why don’t you be a good little girl and surrender?” Bossman cooed mockingly. She took a step back and kicked something, rolling slightly away. An idea formed in her head.

Ruby Rose was small. She was young. But she wasn’t dumb. She stumbled, falling onto her butt and Crescent Rose clattered to the ground beside her. She squeaked as the men before her laughed cruelly at her. Whatever remaining light of hope in the shopkeep’s eye died at the reminder that she was so _young_ , so _weak_ . She scrambled for her trusted weapon as one of the goons stepped closer. He grabbed her arm harshly and she took her chance, throwing the fire dust crystal at his face, striking it with the edge of Crescent Rose to set off the explosion of flames. She winced again at the screams of the goon but she could worry about _that_ mess later.

She swiped another crystal off the ground, yellow-electricity, and in seconds she was across the room in front of Bossman and his hostage, a flurry of rose petals trailing behind her. She aimed for Bossman’s gun, the charge making him yell in pain as he dropped the weapon, and she grabbed the shopkeeper. She dragged him over the counter, pushing him to hide behind in the aisles. “Go! I’ll protect you!” Ruby yelled over the sound of gunshots. The man could only whimper as he cowered as she told him to. _3_.

 _3_ and she was running low on new ideas. They had already seen her surprises, she doubt they’d work again on all of them, and now all their attention was on her! Crescent Rose weighed heavy in her hand. Well. Maybe not all of them. She eyed the window she had broken earlier. _Get them in the open_.

It seemed she wasn’t the only one with that idea. Bossman cursed, still nursing his hand. “Keep her busy!” He ordered, turning tail and jumping through the open window. Well, “open.” She huffed angrily, sounding a lot like her older sister, and followed with her Semblance. 

He seemed to expect her, already meeting her reappearance with a swing of his cane. On instinct, she started expanding her scythe, now free to do so. It was only open part-way, a mockery of a battleaxe or maybe a habberd, but it blocked as she needed. As they traded blows, her weapon grew and Bossman seemed more and more irritated. He landed a solid enough hit to send her flying back a few feet, sliding to a stop easily. Behind her, Crescent Rose finally stood tall in its full majesty, towering over her menacingly. It was a familiar weight in her hand. Bossman himself even seemed a little impressed.

“Not that this hasn’t been absolutely _delightful_ ,” He drawled sarcastically, “but I’m afraid I must depart. Goodbye, _Little Red._ ” He drew his cane, the bottom opening to reveal a barrel of a gun, and Ruby barely had time to begin dodging before a purple sigil-like shield stopped the miniature explosion from hitting her.

A blonde woman stepped in front of her, sparing Ruby an emerald glance before settling on Bossman. She wore a simple white blouse and black pencil skirt, a tattered but witchy purple cape, and carried a riding crop. Bossman seemed to recognize, unhappy to see her, but Ruby was ecstatic. A _Huntress_.

“Roman Torchwick,” She spoke sharply, authoritatively, and clearly, “you are under arrest.”

Bossman didn’t even grace her with the smile he had kept during their entire confrontation. He turned to his remaining henchmen still standing in the doorway of the dust store uselessly. “Actually keep them busy, yeah?” he snarked. He only spared the two women a quick look before dropping the entire cast of dust he’d been holding into the middle of the street.

It was merely just a distraction, but the light was blinding, Ruby tripping over her own feet for a second, but the gunshots started again nonetheless. The woman before her only sighed irritably as if this was nothing more than a nuisance, blocking the bullets with a flick of her riding crop. With another, the guns were lifted from their hands and used to hit them upside the head. They dropped like flies. _1_ , Ruby noted to herself, awed by the show of power.

Bossman- Torchwick- was nowhere to be seen, but this didn’t seem to surprise the woman at all. She huffed, straightening her back and turning to Ruby, who scrambled to return Crescent Rose back to its compact form again. She was only a little miffed she hadn’t gotten to use it but a stern look from the Huntress kept her complaints silent.

Ruby wasn’t sure what she expected to happen next. But a sharp voice broke her spiraling thoughts of what could have been. “You. You’re coming with me,” the Huntress demanded. Ruby swallowed thickly.

* * *

The room wasn't as bad as she thought it'd be, in full honesty. Mostly she was just bored of being alone after giving a statement of what happened. The Huntress, Glynda Goodwitch, a former colleague of her uncle, had seemed too strict to allow much leniency but she wasn't even handcuffed or anything. Maybe it was because she wasn't actually a criminal? She had just been helping. But even Ruby was aware that she was, technically breaking the rules. You _weren't_ supposed to actually intervene in most cases, much less use your Semblance like she had. But what else was she supposed to do? Like, even if they weren't going to actually take her under hostage like they had the shopkeeper, she couldn't stand by and watch them steal things. It was in her power to do good and she always would.

Too many people in the world stand by when evil is done. They see a crime, and they ignore it. They even support them in some cases, she thought to herself and scowled. It was why she even went to _that_ dust shop of all the ones in town. So yes, if she could do good, she always would.

The door to the small, grey room opened, and her jaw dropped in surprise. An older man entered, with silver hair and kind amber eyes framed by spectacles, and dressed in dark green. He wore a lighter green scarf with a pendant, as shiny as his hair. And Ruby knew exactly who he was. "You're Professor Ozpin!" Ruby couldn't help exclaiming. "From Beacon! I've always wanted to go there, it's the best school for Huntsmen and Huntresses!" And behind him was Glynda, yes, but it was Ozpin!

Like Glynda, like her uncle, and like Professor Ozpin. He was the youngest headmaster in the schools' albeit recent history, and was supposedly a very impressive Huntsmen when he was active in the field. And that was saying something, considering the people Ruby had grown up surrounded with. Her parents (and her uncle) were members of one of the strongest teams to graduate from Beacon Academy and they had all imparted _something_ onto her. Even still, her uncle especially had many praises to sing for him, which her dad always just shook his head at.

He simply smiled, small but amused, and took her in. "You have silver eyes," he muttered to himself, a curious look on his face, before settling into a kinder expression. "Hello, "Ozpin greeted, "You must be Ruby Rose. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"You too," was all she could say.

"Now what is a young girl like you doing caught up in a situation like this," He inquired, but he didn't seem to be asking a question. He hummed to himself, assessing her, and Ruby was filled with a sense of needing to prove something to him. Like he was looking for something in her and she had to deliver. He settled across from her and leaned his elbows against the table, hands folded under his chin.

"I needed to help," Ruby tried to explain, even if she didn't really know if he was asking. "I've been training for most of my life for situations like this. I know I wasn't really _supposed_ to do anything, especially since I haven't even graduated Signal yet, but I couldn't do nothing! I even had my weapon on me, so it's not like I was being reckless or anything!" She insisted, probably speaking too fast. She should calm down.

Ozpin hummed again, expression unchanging. "And who taught you how to wield a scythe like that, one of the most dangerous weapons in Remnant?" Glynda behind him lifted her head, looking at her both inquisitively and disapprovingly down her nose. 

"Oh, that was my uncle," Ruby brightened. "I grew up watching him use one and knew I immediately wanted to use one too. I've spent the last few years practicing with it so I could go to your school and become a Huntress!"

Ozpin nodded to himself but Glynda didn't seem impressed. Ruby felt like she couldn't really expect her to be. Glynda spoke to him, glare sharpening, "You cannot be serious."

But all he did was chuckle. "I'm afraid I am," Ozpin said to the Huntress before turning back to her. "Your sister will be a first year this coming school year, yes?" Ruby nodded, a little confused but it was true. They both had goals to go to Beacon to become Huntresses but since Yang was older, they wouldn't be going together; Ruby would have to wait another two years. She still didn't understand what they were talking about though.

"And how would you like to join her?" Ozpin asked.

Ruby's jaw dropped.


End file.
